A new festival is coming to Selma this spring and will be called--Selma in the Spring, according to Eric Jackson with the Selma Historical Society. The two-day event, scheduled for May 20-21, will include an antique show, a craft show, a tour of historic homes and gardens, an art exhibit, a fashion show, hat show, baby contest and literary roundtable with local authors. A street dance also is plan
ned in Uptown.
“We plan to have a tea party at the tea room, and an old fashioned Coca-Cola party,” said Jackson. This will be held at Edgerton Memorial United Methodist Church. The antique show will be unlike past antique shows in Selma. Local merchants will have the sidewalks for their wares while out-of-town antique dealers will be set up at the Selma Lions Club building, formerly the Woman’s Club. Also planned for the event is the dedication of Vick Park in Uptown Selma, said Jackson. Also the tea party, which requires $5 tickets, will be at 2 p.m. On Saturday, May 21, the antique show, art show, craft show and roundtable will be held, along with the tour of local historic homes and gardens. A $10 ticket is required for the homes and gardens tour. The street dance will be held in Uptown with a band, which has not been secured. Jackson said the dance. will be free and open to the public. He said the festival committee, of which Dina Flowers is the overall chairman, is working with the American Music Jubilee for an afternoon and evening performance. Former Selma resident Cree Foreman, now of South Carolina, will be the honorary grand marshal for the weekend, said Jackson. Foreman will be arriving by train and there will be a processional to open the activities.
“We want to make sure there are things going on in Selma,” said Jackson. “We’ve already got the car classic, a great Fourth of July, Railroad Days and now we want something big for the spring,” added Jackson. He said the spring festival should add a lot of traffic for merchants.
“We want to keep the buzz going,” he said. “We want to help the economy of the town.”
He added, “Selma has a lot going for it and we want people to know about it.” In addition to Jackson and Flowers, other committee members include Brenda Pickett, Mary Fuller, Jane Peterson, Laura Bailey, Ray and Gina Jaklitsch, Mavorine Willowly and Gina Thompson. For more information, call Flowers at 291-1428 or Jackson at 351-0025.
